Survey Update

[Jamie]

Survivors' Survey Results can be found here.

So far, 14,775 questionnaires have been completed.



Is there anything that stands out for you? Comment below.

[Embers]

69% were taken to court yet not convicted.

[Elliecloud]

It's all horribly shocking, but that parents are the main abusers is harrowing

[ashridge_mack]

Another thing I was really struck by is that mothers were an abuser almost as much as fathers!

Really surprised by that (but not surprised, too!).

I wonder if that would vary across the different types of abuse or not?

[Lisa_Lisa]

I was struck by that too AM. Also that the 4 types of abuse, sexual, physical, emotional and psychological, were fairly equally represented.

[Tiontu]

I keep coming back to the last part of this on effects suffered. The rates of eating disorders, self harm, suicidal tendencies is astonishing
And both depression and anxiety seem pretty universal issues for survivors. Makes me wonder how many of us find themselves in the mental health system with professionals who are oblivious what is really behind these hideous effects

[ogami_itto]

The results of the benefits of therapy are quite surprising. It seems to show that there is difficulty in finding a good therapist or treatment. As each person is an individual and reacts differently the importance of good therapy and support are highly important for recovery. It is sad that most abusers are in the home as when this place becomes unsafe it makes the world are scarier place from a young age. Let us hope that mental health care and awareness improve as it is often impacted at the key stages of development. We all know that the effects last long into adult life and this is still not taken too seriously by governments across the world.

[ashridge_mack]

I was struck by that too AM. Also that the 4 types of abuse, sexual, physical, emotional and psychological, were fairly equally represented.

I suspect (but have no evidence for it) that this might have a lot to do with a lot of people checking more than one, ie 2,3, or 4 types. I, for instance, who have spent probably the considerable majority of my healing dealing with sexual abuse, also felt like I should truthfully check emotional (bullying, denial) and physical (attempted murder, some non-sexual cruelty by my mum but also the pain involved in the sexual stuff) - even though far and away my main focus has been on sexual.

Tbh I could easily have also checked psychological but didn't, only as I have no idea how this is meant to be different to emotional abuse...?

So maybe they're so even cause there's so much overlap between them that many people check quite a few of them...? Maybe, Jamie, you could break that down, how many people checked 2,3, or 4 types??

xxxx

[Lisa_Lisa]

I've noticed a similar thing AM. There have been patches of little to nothing going on over on the physical abuse forum whereas the sexual abuse forum is seemingly never quiet. I realised, where people experienced sexual abuse and physical abuse (and/or emotional/psychological) they tended to "deal with" the sexual abuse part first, or need community validation/support most strongly for that part. I imagine the same is true of emotional/psychological, when it is a part of other forms of abuse - those forums are often quiet too. But I think it's just because they're often not the "primary" form. I wonder if knowing each person's "primary" form of abuse would have been helpful.

[DIVINE]

Looked at the stats here and other stats...yes...sa is dominant....maybe people think physical, psychological, emotional abuse is not so bad?

[Elliecloud]

Interesting... I would say any type of childhood abuse is damaging. In fact, speaking personally, I may even go so far as to say that the neglect and psychological abuse in my childhood have possibly caused me more anguish than the physical and sexual abuse.

[DIVINE]

Agree (((Ellecloud)))

[ashridge_mack]

Personally I think they're all completely intertwined - certainly as far as sexual abuse is concerned. Which, imo, can't take place without emotional abuse to ensure compliance and absolve the abuser of guilt in their own mind, as well as physical abuse - also to ensure compliance, and because the sexual abuse is actually also physical abuse (in the sense of causing pain and damage) in many cases anyway.

I'm only not mentioning psychological abuse because, to me, it's indistinguishable from emotional abuse.

xxxx

[Lisa_Lisa]

I think I see the difference between emotional and psychological abuse. And I think I definitely had both.

I think gaslighting is a type of psychological abuse, because it distorts what you believe to be true.

I think neglect, not stepping up to caregiver duties etc, that's emotional abuse, because the child becomes emotionally deprived.

I think both types are probably part of everyone's experience on here.

[Madfraggle]

69% were taken to court yet not convicted.

And 57% of those who reported it were not taken seriously